near Monticello, Utah
NPS Website
WHAT IS IT?
Desolate, inhospitable land of tremendous beauty created by the Colorado plateau uplift and the incredible erosive powers of the Colorado and Green Rivers.
The confluence of these two potent rivers splits the Park into three distinct areas: the Maze, the Needles and the Island in the Sky. There is no way to cross the Colorado and the Green. The Needles and Island in the Sky Visitor Centers are over 100 miles apart.
The Maze is largely inaccessible and hundreds of miles via automobile from the other two VCs. The Maze is advertised as “a refuge from civilization.” You NEED a 4x4 and seasoned driving skills to get there. The Maze is not a part of this review.
BEAUTY (9/10)
The vast sections of Canyonlands NP hold so many different mind-blowing formations.
The slick rock boulders look just like they sound and are so much fun to hike upon. Don’t tread on the clumps of living crusty dirt teeming with cyanobacteria, green algae and lichens. Ephemeral pools, carved indentations in the slick rock, collect rain water and spawn rare tadpole and clam shrimp.
The uplifted and subsequently eroded multi-hued sandstone pillars of the Needles district are a remarkable sight. Some spiral straight up and some challenge the imagination with their whimsical bends. Some sprout puffy white rock caps, looking like giant mushrooms and some create optical illusions with their odd colorations. The light made one rock pillar look like a free standing arch. We were none the wiser until we pulled out the binoculars. The Needles District has real natural arches and bridges too.
The uplift has also created Joint Rock, narrow rock passageways formed by water with steep narrow sides that combine at the top to create a claustrophobic atmosphere. We were less impressed by the Grabens geological formation, which shared a likeness with an abandoned rock quarry.
The stark high-desert environment can be appreciated from within at Needles or from above at the Island in the Sky. From the Island overlooks, the Needles and the confluence below looks like a mini Grand Canyon. The geography looks vast, sinewy and foreboding.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (2/10)
Few people ever attempted to live here, one of America’s most uninhabitable places. Major John Wesley Powell passed through here during his three month float down the Green River into the Grand Canyon.
CROWDS (5/10)
We enjoyed the large number of adventurous travelers we found at Canyonlands NP, especially in the Needles District.
Needles almost requires a multi-day visit to appreciate the many long hikes and diverse scenery. The problem is that its 26-site campground is woefully inadequate. Too many people come here to have such a small campground. We were lucky enough to secure the last site at 11:00am. All sites are first come first served so get here as early as you can. Make backcountry campsite reservations ahead of time; these sites were filled too.
Island in the Sky is visited via 18 miles of scenic drives and, unlike Needles, offers few hikes. Again, we got the last campsite but eventually gave it to a circling RV. Why? 45mph winds, a dust storm and the promise of a 25° night. We preferred spending the night in the cozy confines of a Moab, Utah motel.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (1/5)
Ugh.
Maze District – Don’t even try it unless you 100% absolutely know what you are doing. And even then, ask a reliably blunt friend, “Do I 100% absolutely know what I’m doing?”
Needles District – Get there early in order to secure a campsite. The Park Entrance is 31 miles from U.S. Route 191, 49 miles from affordable gasoline in Monticello. Price gougers at the Needles Outpost near the Park Entrance had gas for sale at an outlandish $3.75 per gallon. The closest Interstate is I-70, over 120 miles to the north. Moab is 76 miles away.
The scenic drive is nice but if you want to see the district’s namesake, the Needles, you need to get out of your car and hike, unless you have a 4x4. The 4x4 trails are world famous and take skill; towing costs can reach five figures.
Island in the Sky District – The entrance is 45 miles from I-70 and 32 miles from Moab. This area is all about the scenic drive overlook. You are on a plateau and can see the river’s confluence, the Maze and the Needles below. That is if there is not a dust storm. We have seen the pictures, just not the actual scenery.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (4/5)
The Canyonlands bookstores have everything they should have but not much more.
COSTS (2/5)
Entry is $10 per car, free with the National Parks Pass.
The 26-site campground in the Needles District, Squaw Flat, costs $10 per site. The 12-site campground in the Island in the Sky District, Willow Flat, costs $5 per site.
There is a nominal charge for the Park’s wide array of backcountry permits. (i.e. hiking, 4x4ing, white water rafting and mountain biking) We suggest making your reservations in advance; nearly all of the 4x4 and hiking permits were issued during our stay.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (1/5)
Student Conservation Association volunteers have free reign over Canyonlands NP. At Needles, SCA managed the front desk at the Visitor Center, gave the evening campfire talks and patrolled the trails. Every interaction we had in the Needles district was with an SCA student. None were particularly helpful.
TOURS/CLASSES (4/10)
We spent most of our time in the Needles district. This review is based on programs offered there.
Visitors have a choice of two short films at the Needles VC. If you are familiar with Leave No Trace principles, skip the How-to-Camp-in-the-Desert lesson and choose Wilderness of Rock, the Site’s 12-minute introductory video. Like most programs made about the Grand Circle parks, Wilderness of Rock is big on sunsets and stop action photography, short on substance. The film, however, gave us our one and only view of the Green merging with the Colorado River.
Evening campfire programs begin at 7pm in the Squaw Flats Campground. One evening’s title promised cowboys, outlaws and their place in the Canyonlands. That excited Gab so we decided to go. After a few minutes banter from a young SCA from Iowa who had already unceremoniously brushed aside our hiking questions at the VC earlier in the day, we left.
Private concessionaires based in Moab offer 4x4, biking and rafting trips. Canyonlands’ website has a list of authorized companies.
FUN (8/10)
The trails and scenery in the Needles District of Canyonlands NP make it an ideal desert hiking park. The hikes around Chesler Park and the Needles all loop and meet. Well-marked wood signs tell you which way to go. The trails are perfect for both day hiking and leisurely overnight treks. Our map shows at least 16 backcountry campsites in the Chesler Park region alone.
But alas, these sites fill up just as quickly as the car camping sites at Squaw Flat. Unlike the first-come, first-served Squaw Flat, you can make backcountry reservation. Competition for backcountry spots is fierce. Good luck. The lack of overnight space keeps the park (the backcountry especially) in good shape but wholeheartedly frustrates legions who want to spend time here.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (7/10)
The red rock scenery and desert hiking at Canyonlands NP is spectacular. We met a woman in Moab who, after hearing about our trip into the Needles, said that that area is the most beautiful and perfect in all of the southwest. We cannot argue with her assessment. Nevertheless, it is hard to recommend unreservedly a place so remote and so devoid of Rangers and adequate camping space.
TOTAL 43/80
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© 2005